Tag Archives: Hobart

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“What draws me in is that a trip
is a leap in the dark.
It’s like a metaphor for life.
You set off from home,
and in the classic travel book,
you go to an unknown place.
You discover a different world,
and you discover yourself.”

We recently went back to Hobart for a few days to sort out an issue with tenants – and to revel in that feeling that we’ve come ‘home’, if only briefly. We’ve wanted to make a move here for six years now, but we keep putting it off until ‘the time is right’.

It’s a sign (on a building in Hobart). It’s up to us to make stuff happen. We have to create our own story…

There are moments in your life when you realise you just have to do this thing – plan it, work towards it or just take the leap. Because if you don’t, you’d better get used to living with regret.

And who wants to be 80-something and wishing you took the risk when you had the chance.

The ‘thing’ could be travel, a business venture, changing places or all of the above, like us.

The risk is clear for us – going to a city where we have no jobs (or, in my case, no clients), and missing our family and friends.

Blooming gorgeous…

What I wish for, when we do take that leap, is that our children might not hesitate when faced with a choice in their future – that they’ll be less risk averse and more likely to follow their bliss.

Because sometimes you’ve got to look beyond all the rational reasons and enticing excuses, to the place you need to be and the stuff you need to do to feed your soul.

And here’s another thing… choice is a privilege, and being torn between living in a gorgeous coastal town in northern NSW or a fresh and fabulous city in Tasmania is a blessing, when so many have no choice and no place to call home.

There’s nevera right time to leap…
there is only belief.

Here’s just some of the reasons we love Hobart and Tassie…

Salamanca markets always give me a sense of possibilities – the relaxed, creative energy entices me back every time and inspires the artist in me…

The water, the air and the food are so fresh and delicious! Coal River Farm (top) has just opened and has delicious cheese, chocolate and other treats. It’s just up the road from our favourite Frogmore Creek Winery – and they’ve got a sensational new menu, including these stunning dumplings (bottom left) and perfect riesling (middle). Back in Salamanca, Cargo has the most amazing Hoi Sin Duck Pizza (right).

TRADE at Brooke Street Pier in Hobart is a market space showcasing unique Tasmanian products and experiences – cheese, wine, whisky, cider, salmon, art, design, jewellery and more. You can also jump on a cruise or ferry here, to places like Mona, Peppermint Bay Cruise and Port Arthur.

We love the village atmosphere here – and those stunning blossoms in spring.

But all work and no play has never been our strong point so, between the weeding and fixing, we’re indulging in all the things Hobart has to offer. And there are many…

At this time of year, on those perfect summer days, the Taste of Tasmania is on the menu, as well as the always-fabulous Salamanca Markets, endless bush walks, the wrap of the 70th Sydney to Hobart yacht race, and more…

On Sunday, we joined the crowds lining the Derwent River in Hobart to watch Wild Oats XI take line honours.

Wild Oats XI – a spectacular site!

Even the two-hour wait for the yacht to arrive didn’t dull the excitement as it tacked across the harbour to finally cross the line, a finish hailed with a giant boom of the old canon.

A cheer went up and most of us took off towards Constitution Dock where the boats will moor as a week long celebration kicks off.

The Taste of Tasmania is in full swing, with fabulous wine, food, entertainment. And more wine. And food. And way too many people.

I’ve never been one for crowds, but somehow we’re caught up in the joy of life here. The friendly jostling and people spread out on lawns or squashing up at tables is all part of the fun.

It’s the cusp of a brand new year and one of those times you stop, between drinks, to wonder where this one will take you. Or will you take it – in two hands and squeeze every experience from it?

Here’s something Mark Twain said that all of us travellers (through the world or through life) can take along with us:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

On Sunday morning, we jump in the dodgy ute EB has hired for work and head south from Hobart along the Huon Trail, which winds along the spectacular coastline, through quaint townships and past rural homes to drool over with their 180-degree views of Storm Bay.

From a distance, they all look the same, but one local tells us there are hundreds of varieties of daffodils.

Everywhere you look, daffodils illuminate the cloudy day. Their sunny faces defy the brisk temperature and feisty breeze to pop up in paddocks, old rainwater tanks and gardens, along the roadside, and even around a retro Hills Hoist.

Moving on from daffodils to aromas of citrus and blossom, we pause to try luscious award winning wines at Home Hill Winery + Restaurant.

Try the award winning 2010 Kelly’s Reserve Pinot Noir. Yum.

Home Hill feels très français. With its two varieties of wines – chardonnay and pinot noir – we could be in Burgundy again.

Of course, our pause extends to lunch. The wines are exceptional, the service is relaxed and friendly, and the food is delicious. What more could you ask for on a lazy Sunday?

Along the Huon Trail you’ll find fabulous regional specialty produce, so you can do your own version of ‘hunting and gathering’ – from local wine, salmon, oysters and handmade cheeses to fresh-as fruit and vegetables. Apparently, the cherries here are spectacular if a little confused. We’re told they tend to burst into fruity brilliance only to be hit by frosts – but that makes them a must-do indulgence.

There’s more here than food though – from jetboat rides along the Huon River, the Tahune Airwalk above the forest, an Art trail, Bruny Island spectacular cheeses and cruises, and more… Did I mention we love Tasmania?

It’s officially the last week of winter in Australia and while Brisbane has been feeling more like summer, Hobart is delightfully crisp and the peak of Mount Wellington is lightly sprinkled with snow.

We’re back in Tasmania this week for work and play – and to take in more of this endlessly photogenic city. The pictures tell the story…

We’re staying in Wrest Point Casino. I remember coming here – well, trying to get through the front door – while I was prac-teaching in Hobart in the 1980s. It was Australia’s first legal casino, so there was a super strict dress code for this posh, state-of-the-art venue.

But the guys I was with didn’t cut it in the best-dressed department and we didn’t quite make it beyond the bouncers in the foyer. C’est la vie.

It’s looking a little tired now and the gamblers aren’t exactly the who’s who of Australia (oh, that’s why they let us in), but just nearby on a grassy stretch of land at the edge of the bay there’s plenty of action.

Ducks, pied oystercatchers, seagulls and other water birds mingle on the lawn outside the casino under a waning moon. It’s a festival of birds.

Meanwhile in Berridale, a short boat ride from Hobart, the Museum of Old + New Art (MONA) nestles in the landscape waiting to impress. Like a fortress, it holds a whole other world within.

And when you’ve immersed yourself in incredible, often confronting works of art in this underground space, you can come up for air and indulge in delicious food and bevs…

Moo Brew beer tasting at MONA

Back in Hobart, Saturday morning meanderings through Salamanca markets must be followed by some R&R in Jack Greene’s, one of our favourite bars.

Upstairs at Jack Greene’s is the perfect place to hang out…

Of course, there’s world-renowned whisky to be tasted at Nantes, galleries bursting with the exceptional creations of local artists, and a whole waterfront to wander along.

With the wilderness not too far away and those endless water views, Hobart – well, all of Tasmania – really is pure gold at the end of the rainbow…

With EB stuck in Hobart dealing with investment property issues, I had a choice – stay in water-logged Brisbane or head to Tasmania for the weekend to hang out with the crazy boy. Tough choice…

…can’t resist those water views.

Tasmania’s capital city, Hobart is an absolutely delightful place steeped in history, but not stuck in it.

There is so much to love about this city, from its sandstone buildings, wharves and iconic Salamanca markets, to its proximity to some of Australia’s most pristine wilderness and waterways, and an abundance of delicious food and wines.

The Monuments. Just one of the spectacular rock formations on Bruny Island.

But wait, there’s more…and more… and more.

A short drive or boat ride away is the the always fascinating Museum of Old + New Art (MONA).

With its surreal other-worldly feel, MONA’s architecture is the perfect backdrop for the artwork and a fantastic event calendar.

There is a winery, brewery, café, cemetery and stunning accommodation onsite – notorious gambler David Walsh‘s gift to Tasmania that has helped put Hobart on the world map.

So much to explore, so little time. The plan was to go back to MONA, but cruising Bruny Island won out in the perfect boating weather.

The multi-award winning Bruny Island Cruise has just taken out Australia’s No.1 Tourist Attraction, and as soon as you meet Robert Pennicott, who founded and operates the tours with wife Michaye, you can see why…

He is absolutely nuts about this part of Tassie, a passion that’s rubbed off on his staff and affects everyone who takes the tour.

From breathing rocks, towering cliffs and sea-carved monuments, to show-offy dolphins, sleek fur seals and migratory seabird encounters, this is exhilarating in every sense – including becoming instantly windswept and interesting as you zip along on super-sized zodiac-style boats.

Surfing the wake…

March and April are great times to do this tour, but I’m coming back in October when the whales are migrating…